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Dabo Swinney is adapting to the times, it seems. The Clemson head coach just sent out a transfer portal offer, which has the college football world in shock.
He’s been widely criticized for his stance on accepting transfer players, with many linking his lack of portal activity directly to the Tigers’ 2023 struggles. Is he going to be more aggressive this year?
Swinney is always one to speak his mind on trending issues.
Swinney’s been heard debating player payment, College Football Playoff expansion, conference realignment, and more. He was quick to give his two cents when asked about the current state of the sport following the introduction of NIL, which he referred to as “total chaos” – but in a good way!
Sticking to his guns on the matters at hand, he was later heard preaching about Clemson’s particular stance on NIL, referencing “God’s name, image, and likeness.” It was certainly a different approach than most of his competitors.
Many were quick to blame the Tigers’ up and down season on that outlook towards the new era of college athletics. Swinney likely dealt with more criticism this season than he has over the last decade.
Amid a 4-4 start this season, he ripped fans that expected his team to go undefeated and compete for an ACC title. Of course, this came after he called out his seniors for being the first Clemson class in a decade not to play for a national championship.
He was also seen absolutely destroying a young Tigers fan named Tyler on his radio show, who questioned if he was deserving of his salary following a loss to NC State. For what it’s worth, his team didn’t lose another game after the rant, leading many to believe that Tyler was actually a plant used to rile up the fanbase.
Swinney’s often slow to adapt as the sport’s changing landscape, and he’s been hesitant to utilize the portal while others around him (FSU) use it to their advantage. Don’t look not, but the winds could be shifting.
Dabo Swinney goes to the portal, offers D2 transfer.
According to On3 Sports, the Tigers have offered Shorter University offensive lineman Alan Herron. Should Herron decide to suit up for Clemson, he would be just the third transfer accepted in Swinney’s tenure.
The program will have to beat out the likes of Kansas, Louisville, Maryland, Texas Tech, and Virginia Tech, but at least Swinney is putting feelers out.
Maybe he’s heard the outside noise.
Following a loss to Duke, many criticized his stubbornness in terms of adjusting to the new age of college sports. After seeing transfer wideout Keon Coleman lead Florida State to a win in Death Valley, the criticisms grew louder.
Many are now reacting to the transfer offer on social media.
“Bro started losing and realized it’s time to adapt to the times.”
“Dabo using the portal?!?”
“It’s a miracle.”
“Welcome to modern day college football, coach.”
I wouldn’t expect the Tigers to open up the floodgates with transfer portal offers, but it looks like Dabo Swinney is taking a step in the right direction.